New Beginnings
by autumnrose2010
Summary: Based on season 4, episode 15, 'Doodlebugs.' Erskine and Ada start their new life together.
1. Dinner Invitation

_A/N: In the episode 'Doodlebugs', Erskine was an embittered minister who closed his church after the death of his wife. Ada was a woman who sang in the church choir and was planning to move to Atlanta to pursue a career as a singer. After Erskine's son Andy intervened, she admitted that she was in love with Erskine and decided to stay._

"I'm so glad you decided to stay," Erskine told Ada. "Things would never have been the same without you."

"In my heart, I knew that I could never really leave," Ada replied. "Not while there are people here who need me."

"I hope you'll join us for dinner tonight," Erskine said. "We'd love to have you."

"And I'd love to be there!" Ada replied.

"Hurray!" cheered Andy and Bits. Ada looked at them and thought about what beautiful children they were, and how badly she'd wanted to start a family with her husband, Chuck. They'd talked about it often, and made so many plans. Then a car crash had put a sudden end to all their dreams.

After losing Chuck, Ada had thought she'd never love another man like she'd loved him. Then she'd began attending Erskine's church and singing in the choir, and over time, she'd developed a strong fondness for him. It had broken her heart when he'd decided to close the church. She'd feared she'd never see him again, but then his son Andy had brought them together again in a most unexpected way.

"I've been thinking of things I could do to fix up the church," Erskine continued. "I'd like to talk them over with you, if you don't mind."

"I'd be happy to," Ada replied.

Erskine grinned, and Ada smiled back.


	2. First Kiss

"Thank you for having me over," Ada said as Erskine walked her to her car. "Dinner was delicious."

"Thank you for coming." His hand in hers felt warm, protective. "I enjoyed your company very much, and so did the kids."

They were standing beside the car now, but neither of them had reached to open the door."They're beautiful children," said Ada. "You're very fortunate."

"I know," he said softly. His eyes held a faraway look. "If only their mother could see them now. She'd be so proud of them."

"I've always wanted to be a mother," Ada said.

"You were married before, weren't you?" asked Erskine.

Ada nodded. "His name was Chuck. He was killed in a car crash."

"That must have been so painful for you," said Erskine. "To have just been hit with it all of a sudden like that, no warning or anything."

"I was devastated," Ada agreed. "For weeks all I could do was cry."

Erskine nodded. "I did a lot of crying both before and after she passed."

"Having to be strong for the kids and help them through their grief must have made it even harder for you," Ada observed.

Erskine looked thoughtful. "You know, I think the opposite was more the case. I think having the kids made it easier for me to deal with it. I was so busy taking care of them that I didn't have as much time to sit around feeling sorry for myself as I would have otherwise."

"I never would have thought of it that way before," Ada replied.

Erskine looked at the ground, shuffling his feet nervously. When he spoke, his voice was slightly gruff. "I never told you what a beautiful voice you have," he muttered shyly. "When you sing, it sounds just like an angel singing."

Ada blushed slightly. "Well, why didn't you?"

"I dunno." He shrugged. "I guess I was afraid of sounding improper."

"But you know how I feel about you now," she said.

"Yeah." He grinned as his hand softly caressed the side of her face. "You know, it's been such a long time...I'm not really sure how to start..." He looked terribly awkward. She felt a bit sorry for him.

"May I kiss you good-night?" he finally asked.

"I'd like that very much," she said.

So he did. The warmth of his lips touching hers made her heart begin to pound madly, and she suddenly felt slightly dizzy. "That was really nice," she told him. "Thank you."

"Thank _you," _he replied.

As she drove back home, she felt as if she were floating on clouds.


	3. First Night Together

After a brief courtship, Erskine and Ada were married in his newly reopened church. Andy was the ring bearer, and Bits was the flower girl. The ceremony was simple but beautiful, and the angels watched it from above.

Erskine's sister took Andy and Bits for the weekend so that Erskine and Ada could have some privacy. On their first night together they dined by candlelight, toasting their new life together. Erskine drank alcoholic beverages only rarely, so he only took a few sips of wine, as he didn't want to have a headache the next morning.

"Want to take a bath together?" He winked at Ada.

"Why, Erskine, are you trying to seduce me?" she asked.

"Yes," he whispered, taking her hand and leading her into the bedroom. "Wait here," he told her.

Her heart pounding, Ada wondered whether she should get undressed now or just wait. While she was sitting on the bed trying to decide, Erskine reappeared. "It's all ready!" he said with a shy smile as he took her hand and led her to the bathroom.

"Oh, wow!" was all she could say as she stood looking at the bubbles covering the water in the tub. The air was perfused with the smell of roses, candles gave a soft glow to the romantic scene, and soft music played from a CD player.

"Well, shall we get undressed and step in?" asked Erskine.

Suddenly feeling very shy, Ada blushed. Very slowly she began to remove her clothing, and out of the corner of her eye, she saw Erskine doing the same thing. She paused just a moment to admire his broad chest covered with fine hairs.

"What are you looking at?" he chuckled.

"You," she replied, gently running her hand over his chest. While she did so, he unhooked her bra and let it fall, then took one of her nipples into his mouth and gently suckled it.

Desire shot through her as she felt an aching between her legs, and then suddenly his fingers were there, stimulating her through her clothing.

Eagerly she tugged her panties off, and he removed his own underwear at the same time. She noticed that he was already semi erect.

He took her hand and helped her into the tub, and they began to gently lather and massage one another. Ada paid special loving attention to Erskine's privates, as he did to her own. As eager as they both were to make love, they finished while the water was still quite warm.

Quickly they dried one another off, then hurried to the bedroom and climbed onto the bed. He entered her within seconds, and they made love for the first time.

It wasn't until sometime the next day that they remembered about the mess in the bathroom.


	4. Fulfillment

**One Year Later**

"Push, sweetheart!" Erskine encouraged from his post between Ada's legs. "You're doin' real good!"

"I can't..." Ada panted. Beads of sweat sprang from her flushed face.

"Yes, you can! Come on!" Erskine urged. "You're almost there!"

Ada gave one more mighty push, and and the newborn slid into her father's waiting hands. Erskine cut the umbilical cord, and his new daughter let out a lusty wail.

"It's a girl!" Tears of joy were in Erskine's eyes as he handed the baby to her mother. "She's a real pretty one, too!"

"She looks just like Bits!" Ada exclaimed.

"So she does," Erskine agreed.

They both watched in adoration as the infant's dark blue eyes opened and gazed into her mother's as she sucked her tiny fist.

"I can't wait for the kids to meet her," said Erskine.

"Me either!" Ada added enthusiastically. After some initial adjustment issues, Andy and Bits had both come to truly love their stepmother and look forward to the birth of their new sibling.

A couple of days later, Erskine drove his wife and daughter home. His two older children stood on the front porch watching in anticipation. Erskine parked the car, and Ada took the baby out of her car seat to meet her older brother and sister.

"Can I hold her?" asked Bits.

Ada showed her stepdaughter how to support the baby's head. Bits held her for a few minutes, and then Andy did.

Later, Erskine and Ada stood by the crib gazing at their sleeping daughter.

"She's everything I ever hoped for," said Ada.

"I feel like my life is complete at last," Erskine added as his arm slipped around his wife's waist.

Ada rested her head on her husband's shoulder. She knew that she now had everything in the world she'd ever wanted.

In heaven, the angels rejoiced.


End file.
